NGO Federation accorded a reception on 17 November in honour of Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Chief Executive of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (BELA) for receiving Ramon Magsaysay Award 2012. Previous recipients of the Award BRAC Founder and Chairperson Sir Fazle Hasan Abed and Chief Executive of Bishwa Shahitya Kendra Prof. Abdullah Abu Sayed, former Advisers to the Caretaker Government Mr. M. Hafizuddin Khan, Ms. Geete-Ara Safiya Chowdhury, former Foreign Secretary, writer and columnist Ambassador Farqu A. Choudhoury, Managing Director of Bangladesh NGO Foundation Mr. Muhammad Abu Taher Khan and civil society leaders were present. Commending her courage and focused attention on environmental justice the speakers especially referred to the challenge she had taken with great risk.

Sir Fazle said one should not work for recognition or reward. Recognition, he said, comes from outside while reward emanates from within, one’s own self. More courage would be needed, he said, to meet harder challenges in future. Rizwana Hasan recalled with gratitude the role of the pioneers of the NGO movement who prepared the ground for others to tread on.